Villas-Boas’ revolution gains traction at Bridge

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS’ brave new Chelsea, with Frank Lampard on the bench and a twinkle in attack, is starting to take shape; but as his side prepare to face Valencia in the Champions League this week there is one very significant aspect still missing — a little bit of luck.

Chelsea’s 4-1 victory over Swansea on Saturday was typical of the kind of challenge Villas-Boas has had to face since arriving from Portugal, charged with re-modelling an ageing side that many people believe is on the wane.

He has already had to deal with red cards, freak results, bizarre misses and a nasty head injury that kept Didier Drogba out for a month; and this time it was a sending-off for £50 million striker Fernando Torres that tested his managerial skills at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea once again showcased their new free-flowing style.